News

October 04, 2012

Media Advisory: Godless Convention in Lexington

This weekend atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, humanists and others of like mind will gather at the inaugural Kentucky Freethought Convention, organized with the aid of the Bluegrass Coalition of Reason in Lexington and the Louisville Coalition of Reason of Louisville--with major funding provided by the United Coalition of Reason in Washington DC. This convention follows in the wake of the Bluegrass Coalition of Reason's "Don't believe in God? Join the club" billboard campaign. Members of the press are invited to attend the conference and will be given opportunities to interview speakers.

-- Seth Andrews was a Christian radio broadcaster for a decade and now hosts the "Thinking Atheist" podcast.

-- annalise Fonza, Ph.D, served six congregations in three states as a United Methodist clergywoman before changing her beliefs and turning in her credential. She is now a professional writer and researcher.

-- Edwin Kagin, J.D., is the national legal director for American Atheists.

-- Jim Krupa, Ph.D., is a professor of environmental and evolutionary biology at the University of Kentucky.

-- Will Gervais, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of social psychology at the University of Kentucky.

-- Gretchen Mann, M.D., the chief medical officer, Military Entrance Processing Station, Louisville, worked to end worldwide Gideon proselytizing on military bases.

-- Jen McCreight is a member of the Secular Student Alliance board of directors, an atheist blogger, and a Ph.D. candidate in genome sciences at the University of Washington.

WHY: Nontheists--atheists, agnostics and others who subscribe to no religion--may feel they have no voice in a time when traditional religions dominate public discourse. They may also feel alone--that they aren't respected in their communities and are vilified simply because they don't believe in a god. But now they have a place to turn and like-minded people to know. Come learn more about those who don't believe in a god and why such a public conference is needed to change common perceptions of secular Americans.